Doctoral Dissertation Research: Child Care Workers in Context: A Study of Family Day Care Providers in Illinois

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This dissertation compares professionalization and unionization as means for promoting the interests of family child-care workers. Initially, qualitative methods will investigate two Illinois campaigns representing each strategy. The professionalization and unionization campaigns differ in their reliance on child development experts or grassroots organizers; in their advocacy of better training and certification or their emphasis on worker solidarity; and in their state lobbying efforts for higher child care standards or increased pay for workers. Surveys will evaluate the success of each type of campaign in mobilizing support among child care workers. The study expects the unionization campaign to be more attractive to lower income child care workers while the professionalization campaign should be better supported by the child care workers who are already better educated.